Dr. Seuss’ well known ‘The Cat in the Hat’ is currently being performed at The Lowry, Salford. Quays News entertainment reporter Isobel Hine went along to absorb the bonkers Seuss eccentricity…
The show began and there was a buzz of energy right from the get go. Starting promptly at 2pm and only lasting 40 minutes, it is phenomenal just how much content was included in the show.
The fact that the performance was so short made it appropriate for the audience of young children it was aimed for; they did not get bored or restless at any point.
The bright and colourful scenery combined with quirky props and perfectly over the top acting created a room of excited and hysterical children.
Due to this show having a target audience of mainly three-year-olds, it meant that the acting was incredibly over exaggerated with lots of varieties of sounds and sights for the kids to enjoy.
The two children in the book, Sally and Conrad, were performed well. They interacted with the kids and acted in a silly and hyperactive way which the kids in the audience absolutely loved. The fish was cleverly created with a puppet in a glass bowl being held by the actor who moved about the stage.
The actress playing this role portrayed the annoyance of the fish very accurately and Thing One and Thing Two were gloriously crazy and out of control. The Cat in the Hat definitely lived up to the bonkers character in the book; the children could not take their eyes off him, his various facial impressions and funny voices kept them hooked.
The scenery was brightly coloured, using the familiar red and white colour scheme shown in the Dr. Seuss book. Props were also very good. There was no blackout throughout the whole performance and there was always something happening on stage. Two actors dressed as cats brought the scenery and props on and off which meant that the atmosphere remained upbeat continually.
The addition of balloons, bouncy balls, bubbles and the actors coming into the audience to interact and hi-five the children really made them feel special and involved in the show.
Overall, the performance was commendable, especially seeing as it was only 40 minutes long. The actors spoke the rhymes from the book with character and confidence, with a perfect immaturity appreciated by the very young audience.
The only critique would be the that there was very little for adults; in pantomimes aimed at kids, there are usually some gags in there for the older members of the crowd to appreciate, but in this show there was nothing for the parents. Despite this small factor, the show was very good as a whole with outstanding acting and incredible scenery and props.
By Isobel Hine
@isobelmhine
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